Starting March 11, 2026, the Government of Quebec will implement a province-wide retail hours pilot that significantly loosens long-standing restrictions on weekend shopping hours. The initiative effectively ends the decades-old requirement for most retailers to close at 5:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, allowing participating merchants to remain open until 9:00 PM.
The Quebec retail hours pilot is designed to modernize the province’s regulatory framework and provide brick-and-mortar businesses with greater flexibility in competing against e-commerce platforms that operate around the clock. The measure applies across the province and is structured as a voluntary one-year trial.
Expanded Legal Window for Retailers
Under the current standard rules, most retail establishments must close by 5:00 PM on weekends and by 9:00 PM on weekdays. Beginning March 11, participating retailers may open as early as 6:00 AM daily and close as late as 9:00 PM, including Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday closing times remain unchanged at 9:00 PM.
Importantly, participation is voluntary. The pilot grants merchants the right to extend their hours, but it does not obligate them to do so. Individual retailers, shopping centres, and commercial districts will determine their schedules based on staffing levels, customer demand, and financial viability.
The changes primarily affect clothing boutiques, hardware stores, electronics retailers, and department stores. Grocery stores and pharmacies remain governed by separate exemptions that already permit more flexible operations. In addition, a parallel pilot project allows adult and erotic product stores to remain open until 11:00 PM daily.
Shein, Temu and the Competitive Landscape
The Quebec government has positioned the reform as a strategic response to global online competition. Officials have pointed to international e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu as examples of digital operators that never close, creating structural disadvantages for physical retailers constrained by legislated hours.
By harmonizing weekend closing times with weekday hours, policymakers aim to align shopping availability with contemporary consumer habits, particularly weekend evening demand. The government has also framed the move as part of a broader deregulatory agenda intended to reduce administrative burdens on entrepreneurs.
Quebec has historically been viewed as one of the few North American jurisdictions maintaining strict weekend retail closing rules. The pilot signals a shift toward greater flexibility while preserving key statutory holiday protections.
Lessons from 2025 Regional Trials
The province-wide rollout follows smaller-scale pilots conducted in 2025 in Laval, Gatineau, and Saint-Georges. In those regions, stores were permitted to remain open until 8:00 PM on weekends.
Results were mixed. Large shopping centres such as Carrefour Laval reportedly experienced stronger engagement, benefiting from coordinated participation and concentrated foot traffic. Standalone boutiques and smaller retailers faced more challenges, particularly when operating in isolation during extended hours.
Industry observers described what some called a “lonely shop” dynamic, where individual retailers struggled to justify extended hours if neighbouring businesses remained closed. The expanded provincial framework seeks to create a broader critical mass, increasing the likelihood that shoppers will expect and utilize later weekend hours.
Industry Support and Labour Concerns
The Retail Council of Canada has characterized the reform as a strong step toward greater commercial freedom. Supporters argue that the change reflects modern consumer expectations and provides merchants with tools to improve competitiveness.
However, labour unions and worker advocacy groups have raised concerns about work-life balance. Critics caution that students and part-time employees may face pressure to accept late weekend shifts. At the same time, proponents suggest the new hours could create additional employment opportunities during periods when students are more available to work.
Small business owners face a separate challenge. Extending hours may increase payroll costs without guaranteeing higher revenue. Some retailers worry about sales dilution, where the same number of customers shop over a longer period, reducing productivity per labour hour.
These competing perspectives will likely form part of the government’s evaluation during the one-year duration of the Quebec retail hours pilot.
Holiday Rules Remain Intact
Despite the expanded weekend framework, statutory holiday regulations remain unchanged. The extended hours apply every day of the week except public holidays.
Most retail establishments must continue to close on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, National Patriots’ Day or Victoria Day, St-Jean-Baptiste Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Existing exemptions for small grocery stores, pharmacies, service stations, convenience stores, and designated tourist zones remain in effect.
For holidays that permit limited opening, reduced-hour mandates continue to apply. For example, on Boxing Day, most stores cannot open before 1:00 PM. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, many retailers must close by 5:00 PM regardless of the new weekend allowance.
If a statutory holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, retailers should expect the holiday schedule to take precedence over the extended 9:00 PM closing time.
A One-Year Test with Data Collection
The pilot will run for one year, during which the government will collect data on consumer behaviour, business revenue performance, and employee satisfaction. Officials have indicated that permanent amendments to the Act respecting hours and days of admission to commercial establishments could follow if results demonstrate measurable benefits.
The voluntary structure remains central to the initiative. Merchants are not compelled to adjust their operations, and participation decisions will likely vary by region, store size, and labour availability.
The Quebec retail hours pilot represents a significant policy shift aimed at modernizing the province’s retail framework while balancing economic competitiveness with worker protections. Its long-term impact will depend on whether extended hours translate into stronger in-store sales, improved competitiveness against digital platforms, and sustainable operating models for retailers across Quebec.
